1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk device which performs loading and ejection operations at different times onto and from a turntable of information recording media of different sizes such as a CD (compact disk) which is used as a single disk or an MD (minidisk) which is used in cartridge-stored form.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 is a schematic figure of a loading device as disclosed for example in JP-A-9-231654. In the figures, 1 is a CD-MD compatible player, 10 is a chassis assembly, 11 is a chassis, 12 is a spindle motor, 13 is a turntable, 14 is an optical pickup, 15 is a supporting plate, 16 is a pin, 17 is a rack, 20 is an adapter assembly, 21 is a bracket, 22 is a shaft, 23 is a cylinder, 24 is a spring, 25 is a retaining ring, 26 is an arm, 27 is an adapter, 28 is a boss, 29 is a triangular cam, 30 is a gear wheel, 31 is a motor, 40 is a disk holder assembly, 46 is a disk holder, and 61 is an MD guide plate.
The operation of the conventional disk device will be described below.
In the conventional disk device, after the insertion of an MD is detected, a motor 31 which acts as a source of drive power for an adapter 27 is activated. An arm 26 which is integrated with a cylinder 23 is rotated in the anti-clockwise direction shown in the figure about a shaft 22 by the rotations of a gear wheel connected to the motor 31. While the boss 28 which is fixed to the arm 26 is moving to the top of the triangular cam 29, the large radius adapter 27 on the tip of the arm 26 separates from the small radius turntable 13 and the arm 26 rotates further in the anti-clockwise direction. As a result, while the boss 28 fixed to the arm 26 is moving down the inclined face from the top of the triangular cam 29, the large radius adapter 27 provided on the tip of the arm 26 is rotated into the chassis 11 and is automatically refuged to a position which does not interfere with the MD.
As the conventional disk device is structured in such a way, the mechanism of refuging the clamp is not clear. Furthermore the speed of refuging the adapter 27 is fixed irrespective of the speed at which an MD is inserted as the adapter 27 is refuged on detecting the insertion of an MD. Thus, interference between an inserted MD and the refuge operation of the adapter 27 can easily occur which reduces the reliability of the device and increases the complexity of the structure.
The present invention is proposed to solve the above problems and has the object of providing a disk device with improved reliability and simplified structure which can be used with both CDs (compact disks) which are used as a single disk or MDs (minidisks) which are used in cartridge-stored form.
The disk device of the present invention comprises a coupled displacement member which displaces in a coupled manner, a case-stored recording medium disk loading mechanism which loads case-stored recording medium disks, fed to a fixed position in the disk device by the coupled displacement member, onto a turntable, a non case-stored recording medium disk loading mechanism which loads non case-stored recording medium disks, taken up to a fixed position in the disk device, onto a turntable and which has a non case-stored recording medium disk clamp and a non case-stored recording medium disk adapter, and a refuge mechanism which refuges the non case-stored recording medium disk loading mechanism into the device to a position which does not interfere with the loading of case-stored recording medium disks on the turntable due to the displacement of the coupled displacement member when the case-stored recording medium disk loading mechanism feeds a case-stored recording medium disk to a fixed position in the device by the displacement of said coupled displacement member and loads said disk onto the turntable.
By such an arrangement, the uptake of a case-stored recording medium disk to a fixed position in the disk device by the case-stored recording medium disk loading mechanism and the loading of such a disk onto the turntable as well as the refuging of the non case-stored recording medium disk loading mechanism is realized by the coupled displacement of the coupled displacement member. Thus, improved reliability and a simplified structure is realized for the disk device.
The disk device of the present invention is provided with a cam mechanism which raises the non case-stored recording medium disk adapter upwardly due to the coupled displacement of the coupled displacement mechanism when the case-stored recording medium disk loading mechanism loads onto the turntable a case-stored recording medium disk fed to a fixed position in the device.
By such an arrangement, the upward raising operation of the non case-stored recording medium disk adapter which accompanies the refuge of the non case-stored recording medium disk loading mechanism when a case-stored recording medium disk is fed to a fixed position in the device and loaded onto the turntable can be realized by the coupled displacement of the coupled displacement member and so the reliability of the device can be improved and its structure simplified.
The disk device of the present invention comprises a case-stored recording medium disk feed member which performs a rotating operation due to the coupled displacement of the coupled displacement member and an operation conversion mechanism which changes the rotation operation of the case-stored recording medium disk feed member into the coupled operation of the case-stored recording medium disk holder which houses the case-stored recording medium disk in order to feed in a coupled manner a case-stored recording medium disk to a fixed position in the device.
By such an arrangement, the operation of feeding a case-stored recording medium disk directly to a fixed position in the disk can be realized by the coupled displacement of the coupled displacement member and thus the structure of the device may be simplified and its reliability may be improved.
In the disk device of the present invention, a case-stored recording medium disk insertion member is provided with a disk holder arm, one end of which is engaged to slide with a section of a case-stored recording medium disk holder and which forms a section of the operation conversion mechanism and the other end of which is rotatably supported, and a guide slit which is integrated rotatably with the disk holder arm and which forms a curved guide slit. A coupled displacement member is provided with a pin which is engaged with the guide slit formed on the guide slit member.
By such an arrangement, the coupled feed operation of the case-stored recording medium disk into a fixed position in the device is realized by the coupled displacement of the coupled displacement member and thus the structure of the device may be simplified and its reliability may be improved.
The disk device of the present invention comprises a refuge mechanism provided with a guide slit which is formed in proximity to the base of the disk adapter arm on the end of which a non case-stored recording medium disk adapter is rotatably formed and a pin formed on the coupled displacement member which refuges the non case-stored recording medium disk loading mechanism into the device by the coupled displacement of the coupled displacement member.
By such an arrangement, the refuge of the non case-stored recording medium disk loading mechanism when a case-stored recording medium disk is fed into a fixed position in the device and loaded onto the turntable is realized by the coupled displacement of the coupled displacement member and thus the structure of the device may be simplified and its reliability may be improved.